Does Catholicism Still Have a Role in Party Politics in Western Europe? Exploring the New Patterns of the Influence of Catholic Values on Party Politics in Contemporary France and Italy

The debate on post-secularity has shed light on the renewed role of religion in secularized societies. While it has been noted the greater assertiveness of religious authorities in public debates and the increasing involvement of religious-based associations in social services, the changing role of religious values in partisan politics has received far less attention. This paper explores the new influence of Catholicism on party politics in Western Europe. This is done at two levels. At a conceptual level, the paper discusses, criticizes, and proposes some developments of the sociological theories of cultural religion and diffused religion in order to explain the new relations between Catholicism and party politics in secularized Western party systems. At an empirical level, the paper investigates and compares the influence of Catholic values on the positions taken in the last decade by political parties in France and Italy on bioethical debates. These two countries followed paradigmatically different trajectories in their processes of secularization or dechristianization and they are characterized by dissimilar institutional settings that define the role of religion in the political sphere. The paper individuates an extended religious field that is broader than church religion and sometimes it is in open contrast with church religion; it is focused on the defence of widespread traditional ethical values grounded in Catholicism instead of ecclesiastical norms; and it is composed of mainstream lay actors and anti-establishment movements that support or at least implicitly accept Catholic ethical principles. Although historical legacies still play a decisive role in determining the role of Catholicism in party positions, parallels and common trends are acquiring an increasing influence in shaping partisan politics.